1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool for assisting in the installation of horizontally overlapping siding boards on the exterior of a building, and more specifically relates to such tools that are adapted for ready removal from the building once installation of a board is completed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As discussed in various patents, there is a substantial amount of prior art teaching a wide variety of tools that may be employed for assisting in the installation of horizontally overlapping siding boards on the exterior of a building. Specifically, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,164,346 and 4,208,799. However, generally the devices disclosed in such patents and the prior art listed therein consists of tools that are of substantially fixed structures which have proved to be inconvenient for rapid and efficient use. In contrast to such structures, U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,029 to Mathews discloses a tool that includes a semi-permanently attached member to facilitate removal of the tool from the building during siding board installation.
Although the device of the Mathews' patent appears to provide relatively convenient tool removal, its construction is deficient from the standpoint that it is awkward to use and relatively complex in structure. The present invention provides a tool that is relatively simplistic in construction and yet can be used for the rapid and convenient installation of siding boards.